A/N: Little teaser for one Mistralle. ^_^ Certain events leading up to this story are deliberately left vague. I may allude to them from time to time, but that's it. I will say, though, that the individuals herein are seriously messed up. As is usually the case in my fics. C:

In other news, TTB 65 is being written, I'm now on AO3 under the same name, and hopefully Take Me will be finished soon.


Scattered Leaves

Having Sasuke back in the village sucked.

Naruto could appreciate the fact that he'd earned a smidgeon of respect by turning himself in at the last second, right after the Edo Tensei had been dispelled, but that was as far as his team mate's remorse went. He made no effort to be a part of the village, or rebuild it, or renew old friendships. Uchiha Sasuke walked around as if the mere sight of him in Konoha was a gift beyond price, and he himself was only barely tolerating the inconvenience of breathing mortal air.

It surprised Naruto to realize he hated him.

A little. Sometimes. Okay, maybe he didn't outright hate Sasuke, but he definitely hated the attitude, and flat couldn't stand the looks Sasuke gave him whenever they happened to meet. They were sneering, condescending looks of pure loathing. For his part, Naruto tried to ignore them and Sasuke both…which was hard to do, since Sasuke seemed intent on throwing his exalted person into Naruto's path with disturbing frequency. As if waiting for Naruto to bow down and kiss his feet.

Wish he'd just go back to wherever he's been the past few years, Naruto thought as he ducked beneath a familiar white awning. Ichiraku Ramen was back and better than before, as far as Naruto was concerned. He sat and ordered his usual.

The thought of wishing Sasuke gone shamed him, but it was true. Having Sasuke in the village called up too many confusing emotions. On the one hand, it was the goal he'd chased for four long years at great personal cost. On the other hand, Sasuke being back was nothing like he'd imagined it would be. Made him wonder just what he'd been chasing and why.

"Yo." Kiba ducked in a moment later and waved. "Thought I'd find you here. You were supposed to help me in the west sector today. Ain't right for the village's hero to be such a lazy bastard." He sat and ordered the same as Naruto.

"Wasn't being lazy. Granny made me do extra work in the east end. Punishment for missing work with Lee last week." Rebuilding the village was going slowly.

"Huh. Well if you hadn't skipped off with Inari and Konohamaru…" Kiba left the rest unsaid.

"That was one time. Okay, twice. But maybe if Granny made certain other individuals work, we wouldn't need to push perfectly respectable citizens twice as hard." He jabbed his chopsticks into his bowl of ramen.

Kiba slurped up noodles and fought a grin. "Sasuke."

"Asshole."

"What is it with you and him?"

Naruto whipped his head around fast. "What do you mean? He say something about me?"

"No." Another long slurp. "But he seems…what's the word?" Kiba waved his chopsticks in the air, searching. "Focused on you."

Naruto's eyes went very round. "I knew it," he whispered. "I knew that jackass wasn't running into me by accident."

"Yeah?" Kiba gave him a shrewd look. "Why's that? Everyone in the village was surprised as hell at the way you ignored him when he came back. Can't be your conversation he's after."

Naruto took awhile answering, having noticed someone vaguely familiar at the other end of the bar. The person was looking at him. "Huh? No. I mean, what?"

"Why's he going out of his way to get in your face?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Naruto said emphatically. He turned back to his bowl and ordered another helping. "He's made it clear how much he hates me and this village, yet here he is."

"On probation."

"Still here."

"Not allowed to work or socialize, or do anything but selective manual labor."

"He's still here." Naruto tipped his empty bowl to his head, draining the last of the broth.

"Maybe he wants to be friends."

There was a pause, then they both broke out laughing. "Yeah, right," Naruto wheezed.

"Whatever. Just make sure you're at the west sector for second shift, or I'll send Akamaru after you."

Naruto waved him away, grinning as he turned to his third helping of ramen.

-oOo-

It was as he was paying his bill and standing to go that he nearly ran into the person from before. The one who'd been sitting at the bar and who'd looked vaguely familiar. "Oops," Naruto said as he bumped her. "Sorry…"

"That's quite all right, Naruto-kun." Smiling brown eyes looked up at him.

A confusing image of ice, blood, and Sasuke swirled in Naruto's mind, and he had a vision of a masked nin throwing senbon at him. "Do…I know you?" The woman smiled…but it wasn't a woman, Naruto suddenly remembered. "You're dead," he breathed. "I saw you die. We buried you."

"Things aren't always as they seem. You were young, Naruto-kun. You saw a grave."

Naruto spluttered in shock as Haku turned and gracefully ducked beneath the awning. Completely forgetting that he was due in the west sector, he ran after him and caught up to him a few blocks away.

"What are you doing here," he demanded. "In Konoha. What do you want? Is Zabuza-?"

"He's dead."

Naruto noticed that Haku had that same air of unshakable calm and contentment he'd noticed years ago. Watching his face, he decided that the guy hadn't changed much in any other regard. Same kind of feminine garments, painted nails, and weird hairstyle. He found himself staring and hastily looked aside. "Didn't answer my question."

"Forgive me," Haku murmured. He tucked his hands further into his sleeves. "I spent some years recovering my health, but when the war started, I decided it was time to become useful again. I'm here to help."

"What…rebuild the village?"

"However I can."

"Sweet. We could use the extra hands."

Haku stopped and turned to Naruto with an oddly intent expression. "I'd especially like to help you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was about to answer this, but was interrupted by someone stepping out of the shadows immediately to the right of the road. He caught sight of several guard ANBU in the distance and knew it was Sasuke before the individual was fully in view. Naruto's lip curled in disgust.

Sure enough, Sasuke's eyes zeroed in on him. Arms folded, he sauntered over, raking Haku from head to toe in one flat black glance. "Leave," Sasuke said.

Haku bowed and backed away, turning after a few steps to disappear back the way they'd come.

Naruto thought he'd have a stroke, so suddenly enraged was he. "What the fuck is your problem," he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Just who the hell do you think you are, you can't talk to people like that! I am so sick of this, and I'm sick of you! He-"

Sasuke walked off. Naruto saw the smirk on his proud lips and actually felt his heart stutter in his chest in preparation to a real heart attack. He was that mad. Without thinking, he cocked his fist and launched it at the back of Sasuke's head with all the strength in his body. It was a blow meant to kill, but an argument could be made for Naruto's wits being temporarily absent. Had Sasuke not sensed the attack and dodged at the last possible second, the ANBU agents who swiftly landed between him and Naruto would have blocked it. As it was, they wrestled a snarling, frothing Naruto away from Sasuke, who'd turned and was still smirking, and urgently ordered him to calm down.

Naruto jerked himself free and stalked off.

Why was it that now that the war was over, and Sasuke was back, and he had all the recognition of the villagers that he could possibly want, life sucked with such stunning intensity?

Naruto thought about this as he smashed in a newly rebuilt wall on his way to the west sector.